Overview & Reviews

The Saturn brand, which was part of General Motors, has been discontinued as of the 2009 model year. Though popular in its early years, Saturn suffered from poor sales and was shuttered as part of GM's bankruptcy reorganization.

Despite its sad end, Saturn started with a bright future. After losing market share to Japanese imports during the '80s, General Motors launched Saturn, a new division that began selling small, low-priced cars in 1990. The division promoted itself as "different," with Saturn dealers offering no-haggle pricing and friendly customer service.

Saturn made its debut with the S Series line of vehicles. Available in sedan, coupe and wagon configurations, these Saturns differentiated themselves from other GM products with all-new platforms and flexible plastic panels meant to resist denting. Additionally, the brand was granted its own plant, with all Saturns being built at a dedicated facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee. These first Saturns weren't exactly built to burn rubber; they were powered by engines that offered from 85-124 horsepower. The payoff, though, was that these were among the most fuel-efficient vehicles of their day, offering up to 40 miles per gallon (when equipped with a manual transmission).

Just after the brand's conception, GM boasted that Saturn vehicles would benefit from rapid evolution, but in the early years, this wasn't the case. The brand's vehicles saw only one redesign in their first decade of existence. The revamp took place in the mid-'90s, and for the most part, it was only skin deep. Exteriors were spruced up and interior room saw a slight increase.

The Saturn brand enjoyed some success in its earliest years, fueled by buyers who were in love with its unique approach to customer relations that included "no-haggle" pricing. By the turn of the century, though, the novelty had worn off. With dated platforms and a limited range of products, the marque was neglected by GM, and disappointing sales figures showed that buyers had taken note and chosen to spend their dollars elsewhere.

GM responded by ramping up its commitment to the Saturn brand. In 2000, it rolled out the L Series; sharing a platform and an engine with the Opel Vectra (one of GM's European products) the sedan was the opening salvo in GM's ultimately futile fight to resuscitate the struggling brand. An SUV, the Vue, was unveiled, as was a minivan, the Relay. The S Series was replaced by the lamentable Ion, which was available as a sedan and a coupe. GM also added a hybrid to the lineup, with the introduction of the Saturn Vue Green Line.

Later, Saturn included the sporty Sky roadster, the midsize Aura sedan, the compact second-generation Vue crossover and the full-size Outlook crossover. For a brief period, there was also the European-sourced Astra compact hatchback.

Despite the increase in product quality, however, the Saturn brand effectively collapsed in 2009. As part of GM's bankruptcy proceedings, Saturn was offered up for sale. Initially, it was believed that the Penske Corporation would take over Saturn. But the deal fell through at the last minute, thereby spelling the final end for GM's import-fighting experiment.

User Reviews:

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  Saturn Ion - 2004 Saturn ION
  By fredm - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Runs very well. Developes noises. Squeaks when backing up. Engine noisey even after first and second checkups. Car height is much better than previous vehicles.

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  please dont waste your money on this car - 2009 Saturn Aura
  By judyann1 - January 21 - 7:20 am

  Please choose another vehicle, I gave my son my 2002 BMW for college graduation and purchased this car 3 months ago, What a mistake. The ESC traction lights keeps popping on and no one seems to know why. The dealerships are out to get your money, they say, let me do this, put this on, reset this, its a waste of your money. They dont know, but they gladly will take your money. I hate like hell I wasted my money on this piece of junk. GM ought to be ashamed of themselves putting this junk together. Im going to trade it in and take whatever I can get for it. I will take the loss, but you can bet for sure, I wont be buying another GM product. I should have kept what I had. SAD

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  Not sure yet! - 2007 Saturn ION
  By AJ - January 18 - 1:26 pm

  I bought this car used. It is close to 3 years old. Love it but the gas mileage is not as good as I thought it would be. I do love the comfort as I dont drive far to work and I did have a 2000 Saturn SC1 that I loved but I decided that I would like an automatic as the 2000 was a manual. I actually miss my SC1!!! Probably because the gas mileage was much better,but there are interior issues also. Like the cup holders-they stink! I normally have a large bottle of water, and I had to resort to buying one of those cheap cup holders you have to wedge between your window. I guess I know why the previous owner traded this car in with not even 16,000 miles on it.

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  Excellent Buy - 2009 Saturn Sky
  By BLAnthony - January 18 - 10:26 am

  Just got the car this month and so far no problems and it is a blast to drive. I got the red line edition because the power was lacking in the base model. The car will throw you back in your seat when to tromp on the gas. I got the automatic transmission and it shifts smooth. I opted for the midnight blue with tan top & interior, which gave the interior a nice two-tone color. The car is stylin with no complaints there. I would say with the top up visibility is diminished quite a bit but the cabin is quite guiet. The only complaint I can think of is the leg room for taller passengers in the passenger seat. Also another complaint is the lack of storage in the cabin. Great car for the money.

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  Rare Lost Gem - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By BBdriver - January 18 - 7:03 am

  When Saturn decided to import the Astra, the dollar/euro relationship was more favorable. Come 2008 the car couldnt be sold profitably enough, hence the lack of promotion and cancellation of the 2009 model. Generous incentives got me a great European car for the price of a smaller Hyundai! 11 years living in Europe enlightened my automotive outlook. Why couldnt Saturn have built this very car in Spring Hill? This car has a solidity on par with my Mercedes. Actual mileage exceeds EPA rating. Comfortable for my 62" 280lb body. Great handling on a just finished run up PCH to Big Sur. Enjoying my 25 mile commute so much that Im considering taking a job further from home!

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  2005 Saturn Relay - Love it - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Happy Customer - January 16 - 2:00 pm

  Weve had our Saturn Relay since the middle of 2005 and love it. We have almost every option available and had few problems. Its comfortable to long distance travel especially with kids. We travel 8 to 12 hours with 5 kids and its a complete dream. Weve had a problem with the DVD player but other than that its been great. I wish it had a little bit better gas mileage than 18-21 mpg during these days of high gas prices but other than that I love it.

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  Death Trap - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Corey Arnold - January 15 - 5:06 pm

  This car is a DEATH TRAP! It locks up when driving. Can not shift in and out of gears, especially when driving in rush hour traffic. Has been taken in a total of 36 times to dealership, and only when the warrenty was expired did they know the problem. The vehicle locked up while my little brother was driving and caused a horrible wreck, which landed him and the other person in the hospital. So long story short if you value your life and personal safety BOYCOT SATURN and their death trap vehicles.

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  Update- 42K miles - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Mattpowl - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Throughout my Vues life, I have had lots of issues. The front end suspension was replaced twice, fuel gauge broke, and some interior plastic delaminated. The wind-shield wiper nozzles were replaced 3 times! On the more major issues, the engine had a weird problem with condensation in the PCV valve hose that caused it to run very poorly in the winter. Also, an issue with the oil cooler cover gasket that resulted in coolant leaks. Although I like the vehicles performance and have had decent customer service from dealer and Saturn Corp (they gave me a 5-yr. 60K extended warranty), I am very disappointed.

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  Saturn Vue Redline Model - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By pleased1 - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the saturn vue redline. I love the exterior of the vehicle and the drive. It handles well on the highway. Though the noise level was a problem at times. Hopefully the designers will work on these things for the next model. Overall I do love my saturn.

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  It wasnt my first option. - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Aisha - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I believe that this vehicle lives up to the Saturn standards. So if you never liked Saturn to begin with this isnt the car for you. Its not very flashy but its pretty comfortable and reliable. Its not the best buy but it will get you from point A to point B.